Corner Protector

ABSTRACT

A corner protector includes fixing elements for attaching to a vertical edge of a basket, which is configured from lattice bars and forms part of a shopping trolley, the basket being equipped with transversal bars. Part of the fixing element is configured by a snap-on piece, which is located in a height-adjustable manner in at least one guide that is provided on the corner protector and which is designed to be fixed to one of the transversal bars.

The invention relates to a corner protector with fastening means for attachment to a vertical corner edge of a basket which is manufactured from lattice bars and forms part of a shopping trolley, wherein transversely extending bars are arranged on the basket.

The prior art includes a corner protector which is fastened to the corner edge of the basket of a shopping trolley by means of an additional holding device, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,204. The corner protector is fastened by means of a rod, which extends along the outer surface. The upper end of the rod is formed by a closed eye, and at the lower end the bar is hooked onto a lower transversely extending bar.

The prior art also includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,570 which describes a corner protector provided, for attachment purposes, with holding devices which surround the vertical corner bar of the basket of a shopping trolley.

Furthermore, German utility model 89 03 979.3 describes a shopping trolley with a corner protector in the form of a basket protective corner, the corner protector being arranged on a respective corner region of the basket and, together with a further corner protector, being used to mount large-area advertisement carriers. For this purpose, the basket protective corner is constructed so that it has an undercut provided on the portion lying against the end wall of the basket. To hold the advertisement carrier, the undercuts of the respective basket protective corners are in a mirror-image arrangement and can be formed by a step or have a groove. Each basket protective corner is fastened to the basket by means of screws and counterholders. These screws permit replacement of the basket protective corners. However, this replacement is relatively laborious and time-consuming.

A corner protector in the form of a basket protective corner is also known from German utility model 78 25 188. The cylindrically formed basket protective corner is non-detachably fastened to a trolley by means of an upper and a lower wire. The basket protective corner has bores and is placed onto a lower bolt and inserted into an upper bolt and is fixedly welded by a sealing wire.

Furthermore, two-part protectors are known in which one part is attached to the upper corners of a shopping trolley and the other part is hooked from outside onto the transversely extending bars of the basket by means of hooks formed on the protectors.

All the described types of corner protector are unsuitable for attachment to baskets with vertical lattice bars arranged at different heights. Changing the corner protectors and reattaching them to basket types with different spacing between the lattice bars is either not possible or only possible with difficulty.

A further disadvantage is the overhang formed by the distance between the corner protector and the wall of the basket. When baskets forming parts of shopping trolleys are nested, an undesirably great distance can therefore be produced between the individual baskets.

The object of the invention is to develop further a corner protector of the present type so that it can also be attached when the transversely extending lattice bars of a basket have different heights or spacing.

To achieve this object, it is proposed that part of the fastening means is formed by a locking piece which is vertically adjustably arranged in at least one guide provided on the corner protector and which is intended to be fastened to one of the transversely extending bars of the basket.

Further features of the solution are formulated in the sub-claims.

In particular, the advantage lies in the fact that the locking piece can be placed on the guide at the desired height and, therefore, the corner protector can be attached to baskets with transversely extending lattice bars having different heights.

The invention will be further described with reference to embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a 3D view of a corner protector with a locking piece which is vertically adjustable along a guide;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the corner protector with a locking piece;

FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of the upper part of a corner protector to be hooked onto a vertical corner edge;

FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of a locking piece locked onto a transversely extending bar of a basket;

FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of the corner protector hooked onto a vertical corner edge of a basket; and

FIG. 6 shows the corner protector with a second, fixed locking piece.

FIG. 1 shows a 3D view of a corner protector 1 with fastening means 7. In the drawing, the fastening means 7 are formed by a locking piece 13 and a suspension eye 23. The corner protector 1 is secured by the locking piece 13 to a transversely extending bar 9 of a basket 8 (not shown), such as those used in various types of shopping trolley and other trolleys. On the inner surface 6 of the corner protector 1, a guide 14 is provided along a vertical axis 15 of the corner protector 1. In the form shown, the guide 14 is flush with the lower end 2 of the corner protector 1 and ends in the upper portion 3 of the corner protector 1. The locking piece 13, which is displaceably arranged, is provided on the guide 14. The guide 14 therefore has at least one groove 16 for receiving the locking piece 13. The inner surface 17 of the locking piece 13 has a curved formation. The locking piece 13 is provided on its right-hand side 18 with a curved transition. In addition, the locking piece 13 has a left-hand side 19. The outer surface 25 of the locking piece 13 also has clips 20 which secure the locking piece 13 on a transversely extending bar 9 against sliding and rotation along the guide 14.

By suitable selection of the fastening means 7, comprising at least one locking piece 13 which is provided with clips 20 and arranged on the guide 14, and a suspension eye 23 on the upper part 22 of the corner protector 1 which is provided with securing devices 24 on its inner surface 6, simple mounting is provided and problem-free adaptation to different baskets is possible.

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the corner protector 1 with the vertically adjustable locking piece 13 arranged on the guide 14. The right-hand side 18 of the locking piece 13 is longer than the left-hand side 19. In each case, the corner protector 1 tapers at its outer end. Furthermore, a gap 21 provided between the locking piece 13 and the corner protector 1 is large enough to permit manual displacement.

FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of the upper part 22 of the corner protector 1. By means of a suspension eye 23, the corner protector 1 can be hooked onto an uppermost transversely extending bar 11 of a basket 8 and be fixed by means of a securing device 24; see also FIG. 5. The securing device 24 is provided on the inner surface 6 of the corner protector 1 and, by means of its obliquely upwardly open arrangement, secures the corner protector 1 to an upper transversely extending bar 10 (not shown), as also shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 4 shows a 3D view of a locking piece 13 with a transversely extending bar 9 which is locked into the clips 20. The clips 20 are provided on the outer surface 25 of the locking piece 13 and are constructed so as to be open both obliquely upwards and obliquely downwards.

FIG. 5 shows a 3D view of the corner protector 1 hooked onto a vertical corner edge 4 of a basket 8. The locking piece 13 is arranged on the guide 14 and is locked onto the lowermost transversely extending bar 12 of the basket 8. The suspension eye 23 on the upper part of the corner protector 22 is hooked onto the uppermost transversely extending bar 11. The securing device 24 is arranged on the upper transversely extending bar 10 to provide further fixing.

FIG. 6 shows a further development of the corner protector 1 with a vertically adjustable locking piece 13 and a further locking piece 13′ which is fixedly arranged on the guide 14 in the upper part 22 of the corner protector 1. 

1. A corner protector with a fastener for attachment to a vertical corner edge of a basket which is manufactured from lattice bars and forms part of a shopping trolley, wherein transversely extending bars are arranged on the basket, wherein part of the fastener is formed by a locking piece which is vertically adjustably arranged in at least one guide provided on the corner protector and which is adoped to be fastened to one of the transversely extending bars.
 2. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the locking piece has a groove, by means of which the locking piece is manually displaceable along the guide.
 3. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the guide is arranged along a vertical axis of the corner protector.
 4. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the guide ends flush with the corner protector.
 5. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein the locking piece has clips on its inner surface.
 6. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein a further part of the fastener is formed by a semi-circular suspension eye on the upper part of the corner protector.
 7. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein a further part of the fastener is formed by the at least one securing device on the upper part of the corner protector.
 8. The corner protector according to claim 1, wherein a further part of the fastener is formed by a further, fixed corner piece.
 9. The corner protector according to claim 2, wherein the guide is arranged along a vertical axis of the corner protector.
 10. The corner protector according to claim 3, wherein the lower end of the guide ends flush with the corner protector. 